Lynn man goes green

LYNN – Michael Demetrio has had solar panels on the roof of his Range Avenue home for less than a month, but he said he has already seen some savings.The 29-year-old Green Line chief inspector for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority had 10 panels installed over a four-day period, ending on March 20, by San Mateo, Calif.-based company SolarCity.Demetrio said he is still connected to National Grid power for electricity use at night, but all of the electrical functions in his home are solar-powered during the day. He said his March electricity bill was $10 less than normal, having the system for only part of the month, and he anticipates his subsequent bills will be “considerably” less.?I?m looking forward to this next bill to see the final results,” he said.According to an analysis done by SolarCity of Demetrio?s home and his electricity costs for the past year, he will save $6,024 on electricity costs over 20 years with the panels and $281 in the first year.Demetrio can track the energy harnessed by the panels each day through the SolarCity website. The energy that is not used for his home goes back out into the power grid, said Tim Roper, a SolarCity regional sales manager based in the company?s Marlborough office.?Anything that?s left over physically turns their meter backwards and puts that unclaimed solar power back into the grid, and it goes to the next customer down the line,” he said.The switch to solar power, Demetrio said, was motivated by a desire to “go green” without breaking the bank.?It was the cheapest way for me to get into this sort of energy – clean, reproductive. I don?t have to do anything. I don?t have to turn on any switches. It just does it on its own. I think this is the way of the future,” he said.Demetrio said he was given the option by SolarCity to buy the panels outright, but he chose a leasing option instead, where he will pay $1,900 over a 20-year lease period. Roper said that any rebate or tax credit available was factored into the up-front price to make it as low as possible.Demetrio said his neighbors have been curious about the panels but not enough to get a set of their own.?None of them have said, ?Oh, it?s hideous.? They?re like, ?Wow, it?s cool.? They?re still skeptical. They think it?s too good to be true,” he said.Lynn Inspectional Services Chief Michael Donovan said Demetrio?s home and a home on Birch Street are the only places in Lynn that he is aware of that have recently made the switch to solar power. Both a building and electrical permit from the city are needed before solar panels can be put in place, he said. Demetrio said he also had to get clearance from National Grid.SolarCity took care of the entire approval process and paid to upgrade his roof rafters, Demetrio said. Roper said that the company wants to make the power transition as easy as it can.?We handle all of the paperwork, the interconnection agreement that has to be filed with the utility, in this case National Grid,” Roper said. “We deal with the town, whatever permitting is required, and we pull any building permits and electrical permits that are required. Those fees are also included when we calculate our price.”Demetrio said he first heard about SolarCity listening to WTKK-FM, and said he started the process of inquiring about the panels and getting price estimates in November.?This process was probably one of the easiest installations I?ve ever gone through,” he said. “It?s more difficult buying a car than it was to get the solar system.”Sarah Mupo can be reached at [email protected].